Cultural deprivation and class differences in achievement

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Sociology Homework

‘Elaborated speech code’ is when a wide vocabulary and complex sentence structure is used in the place of colloquial short language.

 Free school meals were introduced for materially deprived children to help the parents with school costs. ‘Sure start’ is a government policy to tackle poverty and social exclusion by providing integrated education, care, family support, health services and support with parental employment. Operation Head Start (in the United States) is a multi-billion dollar scheme of preschool education in poorer areas. Its aim was ‘planned enrichment’ of the deprived child’s environment to develop learning skills and instil achievement motivation. It included improving parenting skills, setting up nursery classes, home visits by health visitors and educational psychologists, and the creation of intensive learning programmes for deprived children

Material deprivation is a lack of basic necessities such as a healthy diet,   housing, clothing or the money to buy these things. In education, material deprivation explains working class under achievement as the result of the lack of resources because they cannot afford them. Many sociologists see material deprivation as the main cause of under achievement. Material deprivation is linked to educational under-achievement; for example: In 2006 only 33% of children receiving free school meals gained five or more GCSE’s at A*-C, as against 61% of pupils not receiving free school meals. Flaherty says money problems in the family were a significant factor in younger children’s non-attendance at school. Truancy is more likely for children from poorer families; children excluded from school are unlikely to return to mainstream education and a third of all persistent truants leave school with no qualifications Poor housing can affect pupil’s achievement. Over crowding can make it harder for the child to study. Marilyn Howard states that young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals. Poor nutrition affects health by weakening the immune system and lowering children’s energy levels. This may result in absences from school due to illnesses. The third way in which material deprivation may affect educational achievement is financial support and the costs of education. Lack of financial support means that the children from poor families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their educational achievement like school trips and going away with school. David Bull calls this ‘the costs of free schooling’. A study in the oxford area by Emily tanner found that the cost of items such as transport, uniform, books, computers, calculators and sports, music and art equipment, places a heavy burden on poor families.

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Cultural deprivation is the theory that states majority of working class and ethnic minorities are inadequately socialised and therefore lack the ‘right’ culture needed for educational success.  

Cultural deprivation theorists argue that majority of people are taught from birth the correct; attitudes, norms, and behaviour expected within society for educational success, hence see the primary socialisation of children as the most important undermining factor which will determine whether a child will be successful within education.  However they also argue that there is a minority of people whom do not thrive within education as they have been ‘culturally deprived’ since ...

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